For the farm workers living in the Eastern Coachella Valley, their jobs rely on their ability to not only stand the heat, but work strenuously while the blazing sun beats on their backs. For women like Maria E. though, the scorching heat is not the most dangerous part of her job.
Aaron Smith, a 17-year-old highschooler from Atwater, brings her identity in front of the camera despite controversy surrounding gender norms in the Central Valley.
Kuv thaum kawg tau txoj kev ntseeg siab los nthuav qhia kuv tus xeeb ceem thiab qhov kev xav thaum lub sijhawm kev sib tw loj los tsim kho Marin County cov tub ntxhais hluas kev ua txhaum kev ncaj ncees… Kuv tau muaj kev txhawj xeeb txog kev hais lus, tab sis qhov teeb meem no tseem ceeb heev uas kuv xav ua rau muaj kev pheej hmoo ntawm kev ua kom pom tseeb. Nws yog thawj zaug uas kuv tau nthuav tawm nrog qhov xwm txheej uas kuv tuaj yeem pom kuv tus kheej.
Kuv nco qab tias kuv zoo siab vim yog cov tho kev hauv zej zog hloov hauj lwm. Lub sijhawm ntawd, cov neeg tseem tsis tau tham txog kev coj noj coj ua ntawm cov hluas hauv zej zog.
Thaum kuv pib ua haujlwm ntawm yli's Marin chaw haujlwm, Kuv tsis tau npaj zoo tshaj plaws los ua haujlwm hauv zej zog feem ntau yog neeg dawb… Saib tom qab, Kuv ntseeg tias nws yog lub cim los ntawm lub ntiaj teb - lub zog rau kuv tso ntawm kev raug mob raws li kuv tus kheej thiab lub hom phiaj thiab kom rov qab txhais dua li kuv kev coj ua zoo li.
Ua ib tus kws sau xov xwm, Kuv pab lwm tus pom lawv cov dab neeg - tsis yog qee yam uas tshwm sim rau lawv - tab sis raws li tej yam uas muaj txiaj ntsig. Kev sib cuam tshuam nws tus kheej tuaj yeem yog li kev kho mob - tib neeg hnov li pom thaum lawv muaj lub sijhawm los qhia lawv cov dab neeg rau ib tus neeg uas xav mloog, leej twg xav paub thiab nug cov lus nug.
Thaum kuv xub pib ua si li menyuam yaus, Kuv tsuas yog ua nws ua kev lom zem, tab sis thaum kuv hnub nyoog laus nws tau pab kuv thaum xav tau kev pab. Thaum kuv ntxhov siab lossis thaum twg qee yam cuam tshuam kuv tiag tiag Kuv paub kev ua si yog yam uas kuv nyiam, thiab kuv paub tias nws yuav txhawb kuv lub siab.
Ib lub pas dej qhuav, ntses tuag, cov tsev uas tau tso tseg - cov no yog cov duab uas feem ntau cuam tshuam nrog hauv hiav txwv Salton. Cov uas tsis tau paub dua yog zaj dab neeg ntawm cov neeg nyob ze rau hauv hiav txwv thiab qhov teeb meem ib puag ncig uas hnyav zuj zus txhais tau tias yog lawv.
